Stuck in the Cretaceous
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: Set in an AU where Connor goes after Helen, and Abby and Danny are stranded in the Cretaceous - Abby and Danny grow increasingly close and begin to try to build a life in the past.  some references to Abby/Connor
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: I'm *supposed* to be working on my fic for the Primevalathon on LJ, and also finishing off "All in the Mind", but I have a block in the shape of a slightly smutty plot bunny and I doubt I'd get anything else written until I've dealt with it. *evil grin***

**Set in an AU, where Connor is the one that goes after Helen Cutter, leaving Abby and Danny stranded together in the Cretaceous era. ;)**

* * *

It had been 4 days since Connor had disappeared through the anomaly. Both Abby and Danny had firmly believed he would come back a couple of hours later, somehow finding a way to reopen it. He was the one with the device that could open and close anomalies; and even though they both knew that the battery had died, they thought Connor would find a way of getting it working again.

They had followed Helen Cutter through the future anomaly into the Cretaceous era, knowing she planned to kill the first humans and stop evolution in its tracks. Connor had closed it behind them using his device, and the battery died shortly after. Determined to complete the job they had come to do, they had continued to chase Helen and saw her disappear through yet another anomaly. They hesitated for a moment; the anomaly was already showing signs of deteriorating; an indication it was about to close. Connor had suddenly said "Someone has to stop her!" and he was running through it. Before Abby and Danny had chance to react, the anomaly closed.

"Noooooo!" Abby yelled, sobbing. Danny put a comforting arm around her shoulders, trying to reassure her that it would be OK; though even he had to admit it seemed pretty hopeless. Connor was trapped the other side with Helen Cutter, and he and Abby were stranded in the Cretaceous era with no means to either follow Connor or go back the route they had come.

They spent the next three days doing everything they could to simply survive. Neither wanted to stray too far from the anomaly sites, convinced one of them could reopen at any time. They both had their handheld anomaly detectors, so took it in turns to scan for any activity that could indicate an open anomaly. They had to try and make the batteries last as long as possible; once they'd gone there would be no warning an anomaly had opened and they could miss it.

On the fourth day, they discovered a fresh water lake, deep enough to swim and bathe in. "Do you think it's safe?" Abby said.

"I can just about see the bottom, it looks OK. We should probably take it in turns to bathe though, whilst the other keeps watch for any creatures. This is probably the local watering hole for every carnivorous creature in the area." Danny replied.

Abby agreed, and Danny offered to take first watch whilst she bathed. She waited for him to clamber up some nearby rocks and turn his back; allowing her a little privacy. She removed all of her clothing and slowly waded into the cool water. She began to swim once she got to the deeper water and it felt good to be clean again. Her aching muscles were soothed and she actually began to feel relaxed for the first time. She glanced up at Danny, who was still stood with his back to her and scanning the surrounding land. She wondered if he'd taken a sneaky look at her; Connor would have done without a doubt if he'd been here.

Thinking about Connor made her sad. Where was he now? Had he somehow made it back home and was trying to find a way to rescue them? Was he still trapped with Helen Cutter or chasing her through various anomalies and lost in time somewhere? Was he even still alive? She had to wipe that thought out of her head; as long as Connor was still alive, there was still hope.

She could have swum there for hours, but it was only fair she let Danny have his turn. She waded out to the shore and patted herself dry with her hooded jacket, before dressing and making her way up to where Danny was.

"Your turn." She said cheerily.

"Thanks." He smiled. "Was it good?"

"The water's a bit cold, but it's refreshing. Nice to be clean again." She watched him scramble down towards the shore, then turned her back to allow him the same privacy he had given her. From up here, she could see quite a distance. It was a good look out point, and she thought that perhaps they should consider settling around here. She would suggest it to Danny later.

Suddenly, she could hear Danny yelling and she turned. He was frantically trying to get out of the water, and he seemed to be yelling in agony rather than fear. She scrambled down as fast as she could and went to help him out of the water. There was a huge bite mark on this left thigh and he was bleeding.

"What happened?" she said, pulling him to the shore. He fell onto his back and grabbed at his leg.

"I didn't see what it was." He said.

"Let me look." Abby knelt beside him, pushing away his hands. She was trying to ignore the fact he was naked, and concentrate on his injury. It looked like he'd been bitten by some kind of snake type creature, and her fear was that it could have been venomous. She had no idea if that could be the case and wished Connor was here. He would have known. She pressed the palm of her hand on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.

"I feel so stupid!" Danny said angrily. "I should have been paying more attention."

"It could have happened to anyone, Danny. The main thing is, it doesn't seem too deep a wound. I'm just worried it could have been poisonous." Abby said.

"I feel OK, apart from the pain. Perhaps you could tie my belt around the top of my thigh to stop any venom spreading. I think that's what they do for snake bites."

Abby unthreaded Danny's belt from his jeans and strapped it around his thigh. She had to stay focused on her task and not let her embarrassment get the better of her. She found some cotton padding in the first aid kit in her rucksack and managed to patch up the wound. She moved away and looked away, feeling her cheeks flushing. "I should ... erm ... I should let you get dressed." She said awkwardly and moved away, heading back towards the look out point. A few moments later, a now fully clothed Danny joined her.

"Thanks for that." He said.

"We have to look after each other out here if we're going to survive long enough to get home." Abby replied. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

He leaned towards her and kissed her cheek. "Come on, we should try and find some food before it starts to get dark."

-o-

As night fell, they found a small cave that they could sleep in for the night. Danny had managed to get a fire going, and Abby had cooked some grubs and roots. They tasted awful, but both knew they had to have something if they were to stay healthy. After eating, they both leaned back against the cave wall and stared into the fire, reflecting on what could have been a far worse event than it was.

"How's the leg?" Abby said eventually.

"Sore." Danny replied. "What I wouldn't give for a nice soft bed right now!" he smiled.

"Me too. And a nice, hot shower." Abby laughed.

"Pizza and a beer." Danny added.

"Followed by a mug of Connor's hot chocolate." Abby sighed, and her light mood changed to one of sadness. She felt tears stinging her eyes.

"You missing him?" Danny said. Abby simply nodded, and Danny put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, allowing her head to rest on his chest. "What's the deal between you two? I could never quite work out whether you're an item or not."

"It's complicated, Danny. I think we're more than just friends, but neither of us will take the chance and move things forward." Abby said quietly.

"You kissed him the other day, I saw you. Didn't that move things on?"

"No. Poor Connor, I can't really blame him. I've been pushing him away for so long he'd probably given up hope. Then I go and confuse him by kissing him." Abby closed her eyes briefly. She had really messed things up between them. She didn't want to think about it, not here. She needed to try and keep calm and focussed. "What about you Danny? Do you have someone special that you're missing?"

"My son, Damian."

Abby sat up and looked at Danny. "I didn't know you had a son?"

"He'd be seven now, but I haven't seen him in four years. He wouldn't even know who I was." Danny swallowed nervously. "His mother and I split up, and she moved back to Ireland."

"I'm so sorry." Abby said, squeezing his hand. "It must be hard."

"Kate, my ex, couldn't handle being a copper's wife. She hated the long hours I had to work, and eventually ended up having an affair with a guy in her office. Maybe I should have made more of an effort to see Damian, I don't know." He squeezed Abby's hand back.

"When we get back home, you should try." Abby said. "Get to know him again. Jack and I grew up without a proper father figure, just a string of mum's boyfriends who never stuck around long enough to form any bonds with. A boy especially needs a father."

"You're right. I should call Kate, see if I can go over for a weekend and spend some time with him." There was a silence for a few minutes, then Danny shifted awkwardly. His leg was causing him some discomfort. Abby yawned. "You should go and try and get some sleep. I'll keep watch for a while. I doubt I'll get much sleep with this leg."

Abby smiled gratefully. "Are you sure?" Danny nodded. "Thanks. It's been nice chatting."

"Yeah. It's a shame it took this happening to make us get to know each other a little better." Danny replied. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight." Abby whispered, disappearing into the cave.

-o-

Abby crawled out and blinked in the bright light of the early morning sun. Danny was curled up asleep by the dying embers of the fire. She stretched and took a few mouthfuls of water from her bottle and strolled over towards Danny. A thought hit her, what if he was actually unconscious and not sleeping at all? He'd seemed OK when she left him last night, but if the creature that had bit him was venomous, the poison could have slowly worked its way into his system during the night.

She knelt beside him; he didn't look like he was sweating or clammy, so that had to be a good sign at least. "Danny?" she whispered. "Danny?"

He stirred and opened his eyes. "Morning, Abby." He said huskily. Abby breathed a sigh of relief. "You OK?"

"I was worried about you, that's all." She said, feeling herself blush.

"I feel fine. I don't think that creature was poisonous." He sat up, unfastened his jeans and rolled them down. Abby turned away. "Abby, don't go all shy on me now!" he laughed. "You've seen more of me than this!"

She turned to face him again. He was peeling off the cotton padding and examining his wound. "How is it?" she said.

"Looks pretty clean." He said. "Scabbed over nicely." He pulled his jeans back up and stood up, taking a drink from his water bottle. "What's for breakfast?"

"Here." Abby said, throwing him a fruit they had found the second day.

"Yummy." Danny said unenthusiastically. He took a bite from it and grimaced. It tasted pretty much like everything else here.

They settled into their daily routines, scanning for anomalies, gathering materials for a fire and filling their various containers with water. After the scare yesterday, both were extra vigilant, but at the same time felt more relaxed in each other's company. They even shared the occasional joke, and it made the day pass very quickly. Before they knew it, it was beginning to get dark again and Danny was lighting the fire. As they waited for their food to cook, Abby wished every day out here could be like this one. It would certainly make life a lot easier to handle until they found a way home. She knew it wouldn't be the case though, tomorrow they could find themselves having to run from a terrifying creature.

"So, has there been anyone since Kate?" Abby asked, leaning against the cave wall.

"No one that really counts." Danny replied. "I've had a few one night stands, scratched a couple of itches so to speak." He grinned. "What about you? Surely you and Connor have..."

"No. He'd run a mile if I tried to seduce him." She laughed. "Connor's not the 'scratching an itch' type. He needs something more long term, the stability and reassurance of a proper relationship."

"What about you though? You must have needs." He shifted nervously, tucking his legs up and resting his head on his knees.

Abby turned to look at him, the light from the fire dancing in his eyes. "Yeah, I have needs, but that's what batteries are for." She giggled. Had she really just admitted that out loud to Danny?

"No batteries out here." Danny said.

"True." Abby replied. She was beginning to feel a little weird, but in a nice way. This topic was not one she'd ever imagined having with Danny, or anyone else for that matter.

Danny added another piece of wood to the fire and then sat back. The tension could be cut with a knife and neither spoke for several minutes. Danny eventually broke the silence. "If someone were to ask you to help them... scratch an itch, would you?"

Abby felt her stomach flip. Was Danny suggesting what she thought he was? "I think so." She managed to squeak out.

Neither could say for certain who made the first move, but their lips were mashing hard against each other's moments later. They pulled apart briefly, both breathing hard before kissing again, wrapping their arms around each other. As their tongues tangled together, hands began to explore. Danny unfastened her jeans and slid them down her hips, followed by her underwear. She wriggled out of them and then helped Danny take his own jeans off.

It wasn't great by anyone's standards, but their union satisfied a physical need in both and was a comfort. Human contact of the most basic kind in a world where they were the only humans in existence.

Afterwards, they both lay there, staring into the sky. Neither really knew what to do next – what do you do when you've just had sex with someone you only really considered a friend before? Abby sat up and scrambled around for her jeans. She pulled them on, and stood up. "I suppose I should... erm... get some sleep." She said.

"Yeah, you're right. We both should. We have to be alert." Danny said. He watched Abby disappear into the cave before pulling his own jeans on and curling into a ball beside the fire.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: The morning after the night before is always a little awkward, but even more so when there's no escape. Comments and reviews are always appreciated!**

* * *

When Abby emerged sheepishly from the cave the next morning, Danny was already awake. He was dampening down last night's fire.

"Morning." She said softly.

"Hey." He replied, not looking up.

Ok, so this was more than a little awkward. Abby took her water bottle and drank down most of what was left in it. "Danny, last night..." she began.

"It's OK, you don't need to say anything. We were both just..." he struggled to find the right words.

"Scratching an itch?" Abby said. Danny smiled and nodded. "Are we OK? I don't want any awkwardness between us."

"We're fine. Maybe it didn't even happen." Danny said. Abby felt relieved, being stuck here so far from home with Danny was difficult enough without them feeling awkward around each other, especially as they were just starting to feel a bit more relaxed.

Abby grabbed a piece of fruit and sat on a nearby rock, watching Danny. She switched on her anomaly detector, and waited for the beep that would indicate an open anomaly. It remained silent, and after a few minutes she switched it off and threw it to the ground. "Damn!" she shouted, and realised she had tears falling down her cheeks.

"Abby?" Danny said, coming to sit beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I just want to go home." She said, angrily wiping her face.

"I know, so do I. I know this is hard, but we have to stay strong. If we give up hope, then we have nothing." He squeezed her hand. "Perhaps we need something to focus on, keep ourselves active."

"Last night wasn't active enough for you?" Abby laughed, feeling herself blush slightly.

"That wasn't what I meant and you know it!" Danny laughed back. "I thought that we should try and vary our diet a bit, we need some protein. I reckon there's fish in that lake, we could have a go at trying to spear some."

"You want to go back into the lake after what happened?" Abby said.

"Not particularly, but if it means another source of food then I'm willing risk it."

"We don't have any spears." Abby said.

"Stop being so negative! There's a penknife in one of the rucksacks, I reckon I could fashion something resembling a spear from one of those long branches over there."

Abby shook her head. She wished she could think of something more constructive to help their situation. Reality was setting in; they weren't going home any time soon, possibly never. This was it, this was how life was going to be for the foreseeable future. She needed space, to be on her own and think. "I'm going back to that spot where we found the fruit, we're running a bit low." She said, grabbing her rucksack and standing up.

"Abby, you shouldn't go anywhere on your own. I'll come with you." Danny said.

"I'll be fine!" she snapped back. "I don't need a babysitter."

"OK. But if you're not back in an hour, I'm coming to look for you." Danny said. He recognised the look on her face and knew she would not be talked into doing anything she didn't want to do.

She softened straight away, realising Danny was only being sensible and practical. "Sorry." She said. "I just need to be alone for a little while."

"I understand." Danny said. "Here, take my gun. It's got a couple of bullets left should you need them." He passed her his handgun and she nodded gratefully. She hated guns; but realised the tranquilisers she had were probably useless now. Danny glanced at his watch. "One hour."

"Thanks." She muttered, and headed away from the clearing that had been their home for the last couple of nights.

-o-

Finally alone, Abby found a rock and sat down. She could now let her tears flow freely. They had been here the best part of a week now, and yet it felt like a lifetime ago since she'd seen Connor. She closed her eyes and tried to picture him; his smile, that dimple in his cheek, his chocolaty brown eyes twinkling. She wasn't certain when she'd actually fallen in love with him, it had just crept up on her. If he was here now, she'd make him realise how she felt and how sorry she was that she'd messed him about. It was probably too late now; she'd never see him again and all she had now was Danny.

She wiped her eyes and stood up again, trying to remember which way to go. She had to stop thinking about the 'what ifs' and concentrate on the here and now. It could be a hell of a lot worse; she could be here alone. At least Danny was someone who seemed resourceful and had the determination not to give up. That attitude could mean the difference between survival and death. They had to make the best of a bad situation and try to keep their sanity. Maybe that was what last night was about; keeping sane by finding something ordinary in an extraordinary situation.

She glanced at her watch, she had already been gone half an hour and she hadn't even found the fruit trees yet. She didn't want Danny to think she wasn't capable of doing something simple. She set off again, feeling a little more positive than when she had first started off. The trees were just ahead of her now, and she could see the red fruit glowing in the sunshine. As she climbed up into the upper branches to reach the riper fruit, she lost herself in the task; her worries forgotten briefly.

She picked 30 or so fruits and crammed them into her rucksack, then turned to begin her descent. As she looked down to find a branch to put her foot on, she spotted movement below and froze. Through the branches she could see a creature pacing around the base of the tree, waiting for her. "Go away!" she hissed through her teeth. She couldn't work out what it was, but if its growls were anything to go by, it didn't sound very friendly. It didn't look like it was going away any time soon either; it knew she was there and she looked very much like its next meal.

Trembling, she pulled out Danny's gun. Becker would have had no hesitation in killing it, but it went against everything she believed in. She couldn't kill it, despite the fact she knew it would kill her easily. Her finger curled around the trigger, her whole body shaking. Closing her eyes, she fired, not aiming at the creature, just hoping for the best. She thought the sound would frighten it off, but when she looked it was still there. "Damn it!" she yelled. Now what? She still had another bullet, but firing it would just be a waste. Maybe if she stayed still enough, it would just give up and move on. She waited, her eyes closed and her heart pounding.

Suddenly she heard a yell, and the creature growled and yelped. She looked down; it was laid on its back with what appeared to be a spear sticking out of it and blood pouring from the wound. "Abby?" she heard Danny call.

"I'm up here." She called back, her voice trembling. Danny came into view and she scrambled down to meet him. He wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you!" she whispered.

"It's OK. I heard the gun shot and guessed you were in some kind of trouble. That spear was pretty good eh?"

"Where the hell did you learn to aim like that?" Abby said, pulling away.

"I was in the athletics squad at school. Javelin was one of my events." He grinned. They both laughed, relieved that disaster had been averted yet again. "I guess this makes us even now eh?" he said.

"You're keeping count? Typical!" Abby laughed.

"Of course! I'm a bloke aren't I?" He put his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, I reckon we shouldn't hang around here too long. It's probably got a bunch of mates on their way over right now."

"You're right. At least that cave is relatively safe." Abby said. "And it's the nearest thing we've got to home right now." It was the first time she had openly admitted that she was thinking about having to settle here.

As they walked back, Danny chattered on about making more spears and other tools. "Maybe we could try fishing tomorrow?" he said.

"Sounds good. You could try and teach me to throw a spear too, could come in handy." Abby replied.

-o-

As night fell, Abby found herself incredibly tired. She had crawled into the cave, leaving Danny sat by the glow of the fire making another spear. She'd fallen asleep pretty much straight away, but was woken some hours later by the familiar sound of rain. It sounded pretty heavy. Where was Danny though? Surely he wasn't still outside in this? She poked her head out and couldn't see him in his usual spot by the fire. She'd tried to persuade him to sleep in the cave, but he'd insisted he was OK outside. She scanned the surrounding area, trying to find him. He was sheltering under an overhanging rock.

"Danny!" she called. "Come inside! You'll catch your death!"

He ran over and crawled inside. It was bit cramped but it had to be better than him getting soaked to the skin and making himself ill. "You're sure about this?"

"Danny, after you saved my life today, I at least owe you a dry place to sleep." She said.

"Thanks." He said, trying to manoeuvre himself into a comfy position that wasn't invading Abby's personal space. It was difficult, and they eventually settled on sleeping top-to-toe. It should have felt strange; sleeping so close together, but it didn't. The warmth of his body next to hers made Abby feel safer than she'd done since being here. She knew he was more than capable of dealing with a creature, and that he would take care of her. She'd never thought she needed taking care of, until today. If this was going to be her life from now on, then she could cope with Danny at her side.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: after a number of weeks trapped together, Abby and Danny are growing increasingly closer. Comments and reviews would be nice, hint hint!**

* * *

Abby wasn't comfortable with the fact that she and Danny had slipped into stereotypical gender roles in the way that they had over the days and weeks that passed, but it made sense. Danny had become quite an accomplished hunter; and he could catch several fish a day. Abby couldn't quite bring herself to kill anything; especially anything resembling a lizard, and that held her back. She had become the domesticated one; the homemaker and cook. She had learnt how to smoke the extra fish that Danny caught so that they would be preserved and could be eaten on days when he didn't catch anything.

Whilst Danny was out getting food, Abby would look after their living area. She had woven mattresses from vines and branches; filling the gaps with moss to make them relatively soft, and had fashioned plates and bowls from pieces of wood. She was determined that they should keep some form of civilised life and not live like savages. She also insisted they had a proper meal time each evening, and although Danny occasionally sulked if he'd not had a good day hunting she knew he appreciated a little touch of normality too.

They had also become very comfortable around each other; the shyness and embarrassment of the first few days completely gone. There was no room for embarrassment when they had to spend pretty much every minute together. After the night it had rained, Danny slept in the cave with Abby, mostly top-to-toe, but occasionally they'd sit chatting and fall asleep with their heads resting on each other.

Abby took her usual morning stroll down to the lake where Danny was already trying to catch fish. He'd taken to stripping off down to his boxers and wading in waist deep. "The fish are bigger the further in you go." He said. She sat on some rocks near the shore, watching him for a few minutes. She noticed he'd become quite muscular, all the swimming and hunting were doing him good. He was stood still, his spear poised to attack at any second, his muscles taut and looking extremely well defined as the sun shone on them.

Smiling to herself, she stripped off her clothing down to her underwear and waded into the cooling waters. She swam, keeping a little distance from Danny so as not to disturb any fish nearby. She looked over in his direction occasionally, checking to see if he was having any luck with the fish. Once or twice she thought she saw him watching her and then turn away when he realised she had seen him.

She rolled in the water so that she was floating on her back. Looking up into the sky above, she noted that there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and even in the cool water she could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. Sighing happily, she lost herself for a moment. She was back home and it was summer; swimming in the ocean at some secluded beach resort.

Suddenly, something was grabbing her around the waist and she squealed. It was Danny. "I knew you weren't paying attention!" he laughed.

"Idiot!" Abby yelled, thumping his chest playfully. They began to chase and splash each other, their laughter filling the air. It had been a while since they'd allowed themselves a moment of fun, and it felt good. Danny had grabbed her leg and she was trying to pull away, but his grip was too strong. He pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She turned and stood upright, and found herself being pulled even closer to him. Her heart began to pound hard and fast, her throat went dry and she was suddenly very conscious of how little clothing they were both wearing.

"Abby." Danny rasped, making her look up at him. As their eyes met, Abby felt her knees go weak. Danny leaned into her, pressing his lips against hers and his hands softly caressing the curve of her hip. Abby returned his kiss, her arms circling his body and pressing herself against him. It was warm and tender, nothing like the lust filled kiss they'd shared that first week.

Danny deepened the kiss; his tongue softly pushing against Abby's lips asking for entry. She responded, allowing him in and her own tongue dancing with it. His hand moved to cup her breast and Abby pushed closer still into him, feeling his arousal against her stomach. She let out a sigh of contentment; she wanted this, it felt right.

Suddenly, Danny pulled away and broke the connection. "I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from. I shouldn't have..." he was swimming away towards the shore.

"Danny, its fine. Danny..." Abby called after him. She began to follow.

"I should check the traps." He was saying, now wading in the shallower water. Abby stopped and just stared in dismay. What had just happened? He was practically running to get away, grabbing his clothes and pulling them on as he headed into the woods.

-o-

The sun was beginning to set, and Abby was getting increasingly concerned. She hadn't seen Danny all day since they had kissed. He was the one that had always insisted neither of them should go anywhere outside the area they considered safe alone. He had his spear with him, but that was little comfort to her. What if something had happened to him?

She had spent the day trying to make sense of what happened earlier. What was so wrong with her that meant men couldn't kiss her? First Connor couldn't bring himself to return her kiss, and now Danny was running away when she responded to his! She'd felt very close to Danny the last few weeks; he was all she had now and her one connection to the life she used to have. She'd sensed things were slowly changing between them; an exchange of looks, the slightest of touches, a smile. Sometimes at night, she had been woken by soft groaning noises. Danny would be outside the cave, and it didn't take a genius to work out what he was doing. On more than one occasion, she found herself sliding her hand inside her knickers; her own soft groans matching Danny's. She was certain he would have heard her, but it was something they never spoke of.

She paced around, trying to decide what she should do. She had to think of her own safety first; it was beginning to get dark and that was the most dangerous time. With no weapon or torch, she'd be a fool to venture any further than the perimeter of the clearing. Just as she was on the verge of going anyway, she heard footsteps.

"Danny?" she called. He appeared, looking exhausted. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Sorry." He mumbled, unable to meet her eyes. "Spent most of the day tracking a creature that looked like a deer. I figured it might be quite tasty."

"I thought something had happened to you!" Abby was by his side, putting her arm around his waist. He pushed her away. "I was worried."

"Sorry. I lost track of time." He slumped down on the rock by the fire. "I didn't catch anything today."

"It's OK. We still have some smoked fish. It won't take long to cook." Abby said. All she wanted was to hug him, relieved he was OK, but she knew he would just push her away. Instead she set about cooking, trying to focus on that and not on how she was feeling.

They ate in silence, and afterwards Danny just stood up and crawled into the cave. Abby had had enough, she was going to make him talk to her. She had to try and understand what had happened this morning.

"OK, Danny. What's wrong?" she demanded, crawling in beside him. He had his back to her.

"Nothing, I'm just tired. You know what I'm like when I fail to catch something for us to eat." He said, without turning round.

"It's not that though is it? You're the one that said we shouldn't hide anything from each other. What was all that about at the lake today? One minute we were kissing and the next you're running away!"

He rolled over onto his back; still not making eye contact, but at least it made talking a little easier. He took a deep breath. "We can't allow ourselves any distractions or complications out here. One day we will have to go back to our real lives, and that will be a hell of a lot easier if we..." he stopped.

"What if we never get home?" Abby said. "We could die tomorrow, and you're willing to deny yourself something that could make the time here a little more bearable?"

"And we could find an anomaly tomorrow and you'll fall into Connor's arms and tell him you love him. How can you do that if we give in to ..."

"Why don't you let me decide what I can and can't do?" Abby interrupted. "I stopped thinking more than a few hours ahead ages ago. Here and now is all that matters." She rested her hand on Danny's arm. He closed his eyes. "Is it me?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her for the first time since he'd come back. "No, it's not you. You're a beautiful, sexy, intelligent woman and I have no business even thinking about you as anything other than a friend."

"In case you've forgotten, we have already slept together. I didn't exactly push you away earlier either." Her voice lowered to a whisper and she moved closer, pressing her body against his. "I liked it when you kissed me." She pressed her lips on his, lingering for a moment before pulling back. "I liked it when you touched me." She took his hand and guided it to her breast, sighing as she felt his touch.

"Don't do this to me, Abby." Danny whispered back, trying to pull his hand away. Abby grabbed his wrist.

"I want this, Danny. I want you and you want me." Abby purred.

Danny pulled her towards him with his free hand and kissed her, their lips crushing together and limbs entwining. His hand slid under her t-shirt and pushed aside the thin fabric of her bra, grabbing her breast roughly as he rolled her onto her back and lay on top of her.

"Abby... are you sure about this?" he gasped.

"Yes." She breathed. "But if we do this, we do it properly. I don't just want a quickie and we roll over and go to sleep like last time, pretending it never happened." She could feel her heart pounding so hard she was certain he would be able to feel it too.

"I promise you, this will be everything you want and maybe more." Danny growled, as his lips crushed hers again and his hand slid inside her jeans...

-o-

The sun slowly began to rise on a new day in the Creataceous era. Two bodies entwined, exhausted, satisfied, sweat glistening in the soft light of the dawn. It certainly wasn't "a quickie" and it was more than just sex to scratch an itch. Abby almost believed they were making love; she had certainly never felt like this before. She had closed her eyes; not wanting the moment to end, and drifted into a contented sleep wrapped in Danny's arms.

* * *

**Damn it! it's so hard keeping this T rated lol! For those who like this sort of thing, I've now written a "missing reel" for this - it's in the M section ;)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Not mine not copyright intended**

**A/N: Time has moved on for Abby and Danny, who have settled in a domestic routine ... but that contentment is about to be shaken. Thanks for the reviews so far ... comments are really appreciated!**

* * *

It was only when Danny had mentioned the fact that tonight was the 7th full moon he'd seen since they'd been here that Abby thought about how long they had been away.

"You've been keeping count?" she said, surprised. She had given up after the fifth week. Time passing didn't seem to matter any more, she just concentrated on getting through the day that lay ahead.

Danny nodded. "Do you think the cycles are the same as at home? Have we been here seven months or more or less?"

"No idea." She said. Her mind drifted and two terrifying thoughts hit her. One she didn't even want to think about and pushed it straight to the back of her mind. There was little she could do about it now, so there was no point worrying yet. The other thought was more pressing though. "Half a year. We've been pretty lucky with the weather so far, but what if we're heading towards winter now? I don't even know whether there are definable seasons here, but it could get very cold soon."

"You're right. We should at least prepare for the cold. I've been thinking that maybe we should try drying out some the hides from the creatures I kill. We could make a blanket of sorts, maybe even stitch together some kind of warm jacket each." Danny looked at Abby and saw her wrinkle her nose. "Don't worry, I know you get all girlie and squeamish about killing creatures!" he laughed and kissed her forehead gently. "Me big hunter!" He started to beat his chest with his fists, making Abby laugh.

"Just as long as you don't start dragging me into the cave by my hair and expect to have your wicked way with me whenever you want." She said.

"I thought you liked that?" Danny said, grinning.

Abby thumped him playfully, then settled into the warmth of his arms; resting her head on his chest. "Seven months." She sighed. "Do you think they're still looking for us?"

"Of course they are. Connor wouldn't let them give up on you." Danny squeezed her tightly, stroking her hair. Abby closed her eyes and tried to picture Connor. It was getting harder to remember what he looked like; his face wouldn't come into her mind as clearly as she wanted it to. "I hope he's giving soldier boy a hard time!" Danny added.

After a few moments silence, Abby said "What do you think Lester told Jack and Kate about what happened to us?"

"He probably had one of his ministry cronies come up with some story to tell them." He replied. "Or maybe he managed to get Jenny to come back. She was good at the old cover stories."

"You liked her, didn't you?" Abby said, smiling.

Danny blushed. "There's no point dwelling on what might have been."

"No, but if you could go back and change things, would you do anything differently?"

"With Jenny?" Danny said, puzzled.

"In general, with your life. Would you have made more of an effort with your marriage if you'd known how things would turn out?"

"My only regret there is not fighting harder for Damian. If I had my time again, I'd be a better father to my child." Danny sighed and blinked away a tear forming in the corner of his eye. Abby sensed the change in his mood straight away and looked up at him. Did she tell him about that thing she didn't really want to think about? Maybe voicing it out loud would make it less scary? She wasn't ready to think about it yet though, so she just leaned into him and kissed him softly on the lips. He returned the kiss, warm, soft, tender, and then leaned back against the cave wall. "What about you? If you could do things differently with Connor, what would you do?"

Abby thought for a moment. "Things happen for a reason. Perhaps we never actually got together because we weren't meant to."

"That's rubbish and you know it!" Danny said. "You two just need to actually sit down and say how you really feel. Maybe if he'd been here instead of me, the pair of you would have worked things out. He's probably sat right now with a soldering iron and screwdriver in hand, desperately trying to make one of those anomaly opening things and missing you like crazy." He sighed, and Abby thought she caught a moment of sadness in his eyes.

"Maybe he is, or maybe he's still stuck in the past too. Who knows, perhaps he even ended up with Helen Cutter and ..." she laughed, the thought was completely ridiculous.

"Stranger things have happened." Danny smiled. "Some might say that us being an item is equally unlikely."

"Is that what we are?" Abby said, sitting up and looking him straight in the eye. "An item?"

He took her hand and tangled his fingers into hers. "I don't know. Everything here is just... It could all change when we get home." There it was again, Abby noticed, that look of sadness. She rested her head on his chest and snuggled into his embrace.

"We should get some sleep." She whispered. "If we're going to start making blankets and things tomorrow, we need rest." She closed her eyes.

"Yeah." Danny whispered.

-o-

Abby found she couldn't sleep. The thing she had tried to push to the back of her mind wouldn't go away. It was begging her to acknowledge it, and the harder she tried to fight it, the more it pushed into her thoughts. Eventually, she gave up fighting and decided she should at least try to reason with herself. She carefully slid out of Danny's arms so as not to disturb him, and crept outside to sit by the dying fire.

As far as she could remember, she had only had 3 periods here. They had caused her a great deal of anxiety; not only the discomfort and mess but she was concerned that any predators would smell the blood and be drawn towards their camp. When it stopped happening, she was actually relieved and put it down to her poor diet and weight loss. The thought that it might mean she was pregnant had not really occurred to her; a baby had never featured in any of her plans and she was the least maternal person she knew. But not wanting a baby didn't mean that you couldn't get pregnant did it?, and she cursed herself for being so stupid.

She didn't feel pregnant; not that she knew what it felt like. Women she knew that had been pregnant had said to her "I just knew." She hadn't been sick either, other than the couple of occasions she'd eaten something bad; and Danny had been sick too. She pulled up her t-shirt and ran her hand over her stomach, trying to decide if it was swollen or not. It was hard to tell; she had lost a fair bit of weight and if anything her jeans felt loose. She decided she couldn't be pregnant; her body was just not showing the signs.

Just as she was about to turn to go back into the cave, she saw Danny come out. "Are you OK?" he said.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "Yes. I was just having trouble sleeping that's all and I didn't want to disturb you."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No, it's fine. It was just all that talk about home earlier." She figured there was little point sharing her thoughts with him; there wasn't anything to worry about as far as she was concerned.

-o-

It had rained during the night, and everywhere just felt gloomy the next morning. Danny had gone down to the lake as usual, leaving Abby to try and salvage some of their food stores that had been left exposed. Most of it was sodden and although she hated wasting food, it had to be thrown away. As she was clearing it away, she heard Danny's panicked voice shouting her name. She stood up and could see sheer terror in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she said, rushing to his side straight away.

"There's a family of T-Rex's by the lake, I counted at least 5 of them!" he breathed, struggling to speak. "We have to go into hiding!"

"Follow me!" Abby said. Staying at the cave was not an option; it was too exposed and the little fire that kept away most creatures would not scare something as large as a T-Rex. They headed towards where the trees grew thick and tall and found a tree with branches low enough for them to scramble onto. Both were pretty good at climbing now, and it wasn't long before they were high enough to feel safer. They sat there, trying to get their breath back whilst contemplating what the next move should be.

"Maybe they're just passing through and stopped for some water?" Abby said.

"Let's hope so. If they decide to take up residence then we will have to think about moving on." The thought of having to share their watering hole with some of the most deadly predators this era had was not a pleasant one. They waited for several hours; hoping the group would move on, but as time passed it became obvious that they were at least settling in for the night.

Abby felt her stomach growl. It was the first time in ages that they had not had at least some fruit to eat, and because they'd left in such a haste, neither had their water bottles with them. She tried to settle between a couple of branches, but she was too small and she kept slipping. She was growing increasingly frustrated; tiredness and hunger getting the better of her. It didn't help that Danny had found himself a comfy spot and was grinning, watching her struggle.

"Stop it!" she snapped. She immediately felt bad. After all this time, it was the first time she'd spoken sharply to him.

"Sorry, Abby." He said, his smile turning to a more serious look. "What can I do to help?"

"Stretch my legs by six inches?" she said.

"Come here. You can lay on me." He beckoned. Abby scrambled over and settled on him. "This is nice." He said, stroking her hair.

"You're sure this is OK? You're not uncomfortable are you?" she said.

"You're so tiny, I hardly know you're there." They lay together in silence, listening to the sounds of the night for a while. "Abby. You do know that whatever life chooses to throw at us, we'll get through it?"

"Where did that come from?" she asked.

"I've just been doing a lot of thinking, that's all." He muttered. His brow creased into a frown. "If our friends haven't moved on by morning, we will have to think about going back to the camp and getting as much as we can before we leave. We can't stay with them around."

Abby closed her eyes. Leaving their base and starting over again would be hard. She remembered how difficult those first few days had been before they had found the cave and the lake. Going back to that was unthinkable.

As morning broke, it became obvious that they would have to move on. They decided it was too dangerous to even go down to the lake to refill their water bottles. They went back to the cave and gathered together as much as they could carry, tools, weapons, some fish and fruit. Abby took one final look at the place they had called home for so long, and began to cry.

"Hey, it's OK. We can do this, Abby. We'll find somewhere else. What was it you said? Everything happens for a reason..." Danny tried to comfort her, but he felt incredibly sad too. This place had special memories, and leaving was gut wrenching.

"Which way do we go?" Abby said at last, trying to pull herself together. Getting emotional would only hamper their progress.

"I think we should try to follow the stream that feeds into the lake and head up towards the mountains." Danny said. "We need to be at a higher point to keep an eye on what's approaching, we don't want any more nasty surprises."

"OK." Abby said, straightening herself and pulling her rucksack onto her shoulders. "Lead the way." She followed Danny out of the clearing, wondering when they would feel as content as they had here again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright is intended**

**A/N: Forced to uproot from the place they had begun to call home, tempers begin to flare. I love comments and feedback - please!**

* * *

Three nights and days without proper sleep or food were beginning to take their toll on both Abby and Danny. At least Danny's idea of following the stream meant they had water, which was a small comfort. The terrain was getting increasingly rocky and uneven, and Abby had slipped several times.

"This was a terrible idea!" she snapped. "We're far too exposed out here, if something comes after us, there aren't any trees for us to climb up."

"No-one forced you to follow me!" Danny snapped back. "If you'd rather be back in the forest with those T-Rex's, then go ahead, I won't stop you!"

"I'm just saying that we need to think about hiding places in case we..."

"I am fully aware of what we need to do, Abby!" Danny yelled back, throwing his spear to the ground. "I hate this as much as you do, but what choice do we have?"

They both stood and stared at each other, and Abby sighed.

"Let's rest for a while, I think we're both tired." Danny said.

They perched themselves on some rocks and both scanned their surroundings, Abby taking a long drink from her bottle, whilst Danny munched on some fruit. Abby noticed some greenery to the north of where they were. She reckoned it was probably another day's walk ahead, but it could be worth it. Green usually meant forest¸ and food. "We should be heading over there." Abby nodded towards it.

"It's a difficult walk." Danny said.

"What choice do we have? If we go your way, we're just heading higher up into the mountains."

"Fine. Whatever." Danny stood up, grabbed his rucksack and began walking in the direction Abby had indicated.

"Danny!" Abby called, trying to catch up with him. "What is wrong with you!" She demanded, grabbing his arm. He shrugged her away and increased his pace. "OK, if that's how you want it." She said, folding her arms and standing still. She waited for him to realise she wasn't following.

"Abby, don't be stupid! We have to keep together." he called.

"You started it!"

Danny mimicked her, putting on a childish, squeaky voice. "You sound about 10 years old!"

"Says the man that went stomping off in a sulk because he couldn't get his own way." Abby spat back. There was a silence, the tension like electricity between them. Eventually, Abby slumped to the ground and found herself crying.

Danny was as her side immediately, putting his arm around her. "This is crazy. The last thing we should be doing is fighting. I'm sorry."

Abby rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry too. I'm tired, and hungry... but I shouldn't be taking it out on you." Danny stroked her hair and she closed her eyes. "Maybe we should think about finding some shelter for tonight and try to get some sleep. We'll both feel better for it tomorrow, and then we can head towards that green area I saw. If there's nothing there, we'll continue on along the stream."

"You're right. Sleep would do us both good." Danny looked around. "There's very few places to hide here though, nothing big enough for both of us."

"We can do it shifts like we used to do. One sleeps whilst the other keeps watch."

As night began to draw in around them, Danny found a small gap in the rocks that was just large enough for one person to lie down in. Danny had insisted Abby slept first, and she crawled inside. The rucksacks made a pillow of sorts, and it wasn't long before she was drifting off to sleep.

It was morning when she awoke. As she lay there, rubbing her eyes and yawning, she suddenly realised she had slept all night. Danny hadn't woken her to take her turn on guard. She stuck her head out and saw him slumped against the rock, eyes closed. She couldn't help but smile at him; he looked peaceful. He seemed very different to the man she had first met; his long, tangled hair and unkempt beard made him look considerably older than he was. The facial hair hid the scars of earlier battles, and the only other evidence of the many injuries he had sustained was the leather strapping around his left hand. The cut had been really deep and Abby had struggled to stop it from bleeding. He really needed stitches in it, but the best she could do was bind his hand with some strips of leather from her jacket to keep it from getting infected.

She crawled over to him and kissed his forehead. "Wakey wakey, sleepy head!" she whispered. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled. "Some guard you are!"

"I guess I was more tired than I thought. I was just going to let you sleep whilst I kept watch." He stretched himself, then returned Abby's kiss. "Come on. We need to refill our water, then start walking. If we keep a good steady pace, we should be in the safety of the trees by nightfall." They both gathered together their things and readied themselves for the long day ahead.

-o-

Neither had spoken for several hours, both anxious to conserve as much energy as possible. Their intended goal was tantalisingly close, and the thought of being in the relative safety of the trees spurred them onwards. Abby was beginning to tire though, and she was starting to lag behind Danny. He kept stopping to allow her to catch up, but at this rate they wouldn't make it by nightfall. She had protested when he suggested they called it a day, and she dragged herself onwards.

Going on slightly ahead, Danny realised the rocks beneath him were giving a little as he placed his feet on them. He turned to warn Abby to watch her footing, then slipped. Abby screamed as she saw him fall and slide down an almost vertical rock face. She ran and leaned over, almost scared at what she might see. He'd landed on a ledge about 10 metres down. "Danny?" she called. He didn't seem to be moving. "Danny!" she called again, a little louder. She felt tears welling up; what if this was it?

"Abby?" he called back up. Her heart pounded hard, thank god he was still alive! "I'm OK, but I think I've broken my leg or something."

Abby began to make her way down towards him. She was quite accomplished at climbing now, and it only took a few seconds to reach him. She hugged him, relieved he was OK, then concentrated on his injury.

"I can't move it." he said. "I'm not going anywhere for a while."

"You have to, Danny. You can't stay here. Maybe I can strap it up and make it more comfortable?"

"Then what? There's no way I can get back up there." He face was creased in frustration and pain.

"Then I stay too. I'm not leaving you." Abby said stubbornly.

Danny took both her hands and looked her straight in the eyes. "You have to. We need to eat and we need water. You're our only hope." Tears were falling silently down her cheeks. "Abby. We're so close to the forest. You have to leave me."

"I can't!" she sobbed.

Danny pulled her towards him, kissing her passionately. "You can." He whispered. "You're the strongest person I know, and if anyone can do this it's you."

Abby pulled away and wiped her cheeks. "OK." She said quietly. "But I'm coming back for you as soon as I can. That's a promise."

"Concentrate on keeping yourself safe, then when you can, bring some food and water. We'll take it a day at a time." He squeezed Abby's hand and she nodded. He watched her slowly climb back up to the top and disappear, before allowing himself to cry.

-o-

It was already dark by the time Abby reached the edge of the forest. It seemed inviting, homely almost. She was exhausted, and struggled to climb the nearest tree. As she tried to sleep, her head was spinning with so many thoughts. Danny's injury complicated things considerably; and the fact he was stuck down on that ledge made it worse. She had hated leaving him, but deep down knew he was right to make her go on. In the morning, she would try to find something they could eat and head straight back to him.

Her eyes felt heavy and she could feel them closing. Something made her open them though. In the distance, she could see a light. She blinked; thinking she could be seeing things, but it was definitely some kind of light. She had to know what it was, so she climbed down and headed in the direction of where she had seen it. Minutes later, she was stood with her mouth open. The light was an anomaly. Her heart raced and she began to sob – maybe they were finally going home!

Her first thought was to go through it, but she stopped herself. What if the other side was even more dangerous than here? What if it closed behind her, leaving Danny all alone? She took a deep breath and decided that she had to go though and at least assess the situation. As she stepped through to the other side, she heard the click of rifles and looked up to see five soldiers. She raised her hands above her head.

"Wait!" a voice said. It was a voice that made her heart skip a beat, a voice she knew so well and had longed to hear for so many months.

"Connor!" she sobbed. He ran to her, flinging his arms around her and hugging her so tight she could barely breathe.

"Abby. You have no idea how good it is to see you!" he whispered, struggling to speak through his tears.

"I have a vague idea!" she whispered back.

"I can't believe you finally got it right, Temple!" Becker said. Abby and Connor pulled apart, but linked hands, fingers entwined. "We've tried that gadget of yours so many times and failed."

"OK, you don't have to remind me." Connor replied. His face had dropped, a look Abby had seen too many times before. He hadn't changed, he still let people put him down.

"Danny." Abby said. "We have to go and get Danny! He fell and injured his leg, I had to leave him so that I could get food for us."

"We'll get him." Becker said. He was indicating to his men to follow him. "Tell me how to find him." Abby gave Becker directions, and watched him and his soldiers disappear through the anomaly. They had climbing gear and a stretcher, but she would not rest until she saw him again.

"Come on, I'll get you back to the ARC so the medic can take a look at you." Connor said.

"No. I'm not going anywhere until I know Danny is safe." she said.

"OK, we'll wait for them to come back." Connor said softly, stroking her hand.

Abby sat in silence listening to him chatter on. She had worked out from his ramblings that she and Danny had been missing for seven months as they had suspected; and that Connor had made it home three months previously. He had managed to repair the anomaly opening device he had by patching it together with his ipod that he had in his rucksack; and three anomalies later he was home. He had then devoted virtually every waking moment to trying to work out how to control the device and open the right anomaly to find her and Danny.

After what felt like an eternity, the soldiers returned carrying a stretcher with Danny sitting on it. Abby ran over to him and stroked his face. "We're home." She smiled.

"Yeah." Danny said, smiling back. He glanced over and saw Connor appear by Abby's side. "Hey, Connor. I hear it's you we have to thank for opening the anomaly."

"It's good to see you again, Danny." Connor smiled. He had slipped his arm around Abby's shoulders as he spoke. Abby caught Danny's eyes and noted a look of sadness in them. There were things she wanted to say to him, but there were too many people around. Suddenly, everything was a blur. She was being dragged towards Connor's car and Danny was being taken to one of the soldier's vehicles. Their nightmare was over, but why did Abby still feel scared?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Not mine, no copyright intended**

**A/N: So this is the final chapter (although I do have another M rated missing reel type thing that slots on before the epilogue, more on that at the end because I don't want to spoil this hehehe) I know people are reading this, would really like a few comments though :)**

**Danny and Abby are finally home, so what does the future hold for them, and for Connor.**

* * *

"I'm taking you to the new ARC building; we had to move premises when Lester lost the government funding. There's a whole new team, but you can meet them later. We should just let the doctor take a look at you and then you can come back to my flat and I'll run you a hot bath." Connor said as he drove. He glanced over at Abby and realised she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. "You'll be OK, Abs. You're back where you belong now."

Abby just nodded. She hadn't expected to feel like this at all. She thought coming home would make her ecstatically happy, but she just felt deflated. A major chapter in her life had come to an end, and she wasn't sure she wanted it to. As they pulled into the car park, the soldiers were parking up beside them. She got out of the car and allowed Connor to take her hand and lead her inside. She glanced behind her and saw Danny being carried on the stretcher. She caught his eye and smiled at him. He smiled back, then looked away, taking in his new surroundings.

They walked along the corridor of this strange new building. There were various doors, all closed. Abby wondered what was behind them, and who. Connor had mentioned at least two names she hadn't recognised already, and she was certain there had been many more changes. Still, she would worry about that later. Her priority now was getting a clean bill of health from the doctor and then that hot bath Connor had promised he would run for her.

"So the rumour is true. Temple has actually done something right for a change." The familiar voice of Lester boomed out from an open office at the end of the corridor. At least some things hadn't changed, although she didn't like the fact it was that Connor was still being treated as a joke. Connor rolled his eyes.

"We owe a lot to Connor." Danny said. "We were in a pretty desperate situation out there, I don't know how much longer we'd have lasted."

"Of course." Lester said, looking Danny up and down. "We'll have a full debriefing tomorrow. Get yourselves checked over and cleaned up." He began to walk away, then turned and said "Good to have you back."

"Wow, did I detect a hint of a human being there?" Danny laughed.

"He's had a pretty hard time of it." Becker said. "When you guys didn't come back, he almost lost the ARC altogether. If it wasn't for Philip coming in with funding, we'd have been shut down completely."

"He's a bit of an eccentric, but he keeps Lester in line. I think you'll like him." Connor added.

Abby's head was spinning, all this new information to think about when all she wanted was to be clean and have a decent night's sleep. She was ushered along with Danny into the medical wing, and Danny was sent into one room whilst she was pushed into another. Connor had muttered something about their clothes and things being in storage, and that he would go and find them some clean clothes whilst the medics saw them.

-o-

The medical exam went pretty much as Abby had expected. She was weighed and told she'd lost a couple of stones in weight, which wasn't a surprise. The doctor looked into her eyes, took her blood pressure and listened to her heart and lungs. "You seem in reasonable health, all things considered." He said, smiling. "I'll run a few blood tests though, just to make sure there's nothing lingering that we can't see." He put a needle into her and Abby winced. "Did you have any illness out there at all?"

"Not really. I had an upset stomach a couple of times, but it only lasted a day or so."

"That's good. Anything else?"

Abby sighed. She'd avoided thinking about it, but now she needed to stop hiding from it and know for certain. "There's a possibility that..." she took a deep breath. Saying it out loud at last was scaring the hell out of her. "I think I could be pregnant."

"I see. Let's find out shall we?" He handed her a pot. "Bathroom's just across the corridor."

Silently, Abby shut herself into a cubicle in the bathroom. She was shaking. Of all the terrifying things she and Danny had faced, this was the most terrifying. She tried not to cry but the tears came anyway. She took a moment to try and compose herself before going back into the office. She handed him the sample and sat and waited. She watched him do a few tests, her stomach tying in knots. How long would this take? It felt like forever.

The doctor looked at her after a few minutes and took a deep breath. "It's positive. You're pregnant."

Abby was stunned. She'd almost convinced herself she wasn't pregnant, it had made things easier. The doctor was talking to her but she wasn't really taking any of it in. The only thing she heard was something about a scan to make sure the baby was OK and to determine just how far into the pregnancy she was. Her fears suddenly changed; what if something was wrong with the baby because she hadn't been eating properly?

She made her way out to where Connor was waiting for her. He had a bag of clothes and another containing what looked like toiletries. He smiled when he saw her come out. "Everything OK? You were a while?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Where's Danny?"

"Becker's taken him to the hospital to get his leg properly x-rayed. Come on, I bet you can't wait for a hot bath eh?" Connor said, taking Abby's hand. She just let him lead the way, feeling guilty. She could sense he was holding back, giving her a little space. Eventually she was going to have to break his heart. He was sweet, kind, wonderful and she cared about him very deeply – but she wasn't in love with him. It was Danny she was in love with, and it was Danny's baby she carried inside her.

-o-

After her bath, she had curled up on the sofa next to Connor. He'd made her some toast, but despite the fact she felt ravenous, two slices made her feel bloated. The doctor had warned her not to try and eat too much. She had to build up slowly, eating little and often. She'd laughed when Connor told her he'd tried to stuff himself with pizza when he first got home and threw up because his stomach couldn't handle it.

Connor found himself becoming braver. He pulled Abby into him, stroking her hair. "You must have been through hell out there?"

"It had its moments, but at least I had Danny. I'd never have survived without him." Abby decided this was the right time to tell Connor. "We became very close out there."

"Close?" Connor said. She looked at him, seeing the realisation of what she meant slowly cross his face. "Are you ... are you in love with him?"

"I think so. It wasn't the real world out there, and maybe we'll end up hating each other now, but I need to at least try with him." She took a deep breath, seeing the hurt in Connor's eyes. She hated doing this to him, but the sooner he knew the better. The biggest mistake she'd made with him before was giving him false hope. She couldn't do that to him again. "I'm pregnant, that's why I was so long with the doctor earlier. Danny doesn't know yet, so please don't say anything!"

"I won't." Connor said quietly. He swallowed and forced a smile. "Congratulations. I hope it works out for you."

"Thank you. I'm really going to need my best friend around you know. " she squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.

"I'll be here, Abs. If you ever need a babysitter..."

Abby laughed and snuggled into him. She could almost hear Connor's heart breaking, but she knew he'd eventually get over it. He was too sweet a guy to be alone for long if he opened himself to the possibilities.

-o-

Telling Danny about the baby had been surprisingly easy. He wasn't the slightest bit shocked. "I suspected you could be. We weren't exactly careful out there were we?" he smiled, hugging her close to him. "And I did see you stroking your stomach a couple of times. Kate used to do that when she first found out she was expecting, like she was willing the bump to grow. Except, you looked scared; like you didn't want it. That's why I didn't say anything."

"I have to admit that I'm petrified! But now I'm getting used to the idea, I think it could be OK."

"I meant what I said before, about being a better father if I had my chance again. I'll be there, no matter what." He placed his hand on her stomach. "It won't be easy watching another guy bring up my child, but as long as I can..."

"What are you talking about? You'll be with me, bringing up this baby!"

"What about Connor?" Danny said. "Everything we talked about, you finally telling him how you feel and all that? I saw the pair of you yesterday."

"I did tell Connor how I feel. I told him I was in love with you."

Danny was stunned. He wasn't expecting that at all. "Really?" he said.

"Yes! I don't know how things will pan out with us here, but I want to try ... if you do too that is?"

"Course I do! I've been in love with you for a while, but I couldn't say it because I thought you'd just end up getting with Connor when we came back." They kissed, tongues dancing together. Danny's hand rested on Abby's stomach and he felt an overwhelming rush of emotion. They couldn't possibly know what their future held, but they had to make the best of it.

-o-

_EPILOGUE – 12 years later_

Damian Quinn checked himself in the mirror one last time. Today was a big day for him, he was 'passing out' after completing his initial training in the army. He wished his mum was going to be here, but she had not liked his decision to join the army and refused to support him. Their relationship had broken down when he was 14 after he finally learned the truth about his parents' divorce. For years, he'd been led to believe that his father had walked out and abandoned him when he was three years old, and that Abby had been the evil bitch that took him away.

He'd hated his father with a passion, and when he tried to come back into his life just before his 8th birthday, Damian rebelled against it. He was forced to spend one weekend in four with his father and Abby and their screaming baby boy. He was awful to them, even more so when they got married and a second baby, a girl, came along.

It was an accident that he'd overheard Abby and his father talking about his mother and the affair she'd had. Damian had got angry with them, how dare they talk about her like that? His father had calmly told him he should just ask his mother who Scott was. He did, and he was shocked to find out it wasn't his father that had broken the marriage after all. His mother had lied to him for years. After that, Damian's relationship with his father improved vastly. He even found he liked Abby, and often babysat young Nick and Hannah when he stayed over so that they could go out.

Now, it was his father and Abby that were here on his big day, supporting him. He could see them sitting proudly in the stands as he marched in front of them with the rest of his group. After the ceremony, he found them waiting for him, huge grins on their faces.

"Look at you, son! You're a man now. You make me feel old!" Danny said.

"That's because you are old, dad!" Damian replied, laughing.

Abby pulled the camera out of her bag. "Come on you two, I want some photos of the pair of you together." She stared through the eyepiece of the camera, noticing with pride how alike father and son were. She took a few photos and was about to put the camera away when Damian spoke.

"Dad, will you take a few photos of me with Abby?"

"Of course!" Danny said with a grin, taking the camera from Abby and kissing her cheek. He knew what this would mean to her and he could see her blinking away tears. As they posed for the photos, the familiar voices of Nick and Hannah were heard. They'd got bored playing with the other kids and had come over to see their big brother.

Danny grabbed someone from a nearby group and asked if he would take a photo of the whole family together. It was a photo that both Abby and Danny would have proudly displayed on their desks at the ARC. Danny, looking every inch the head of the family, with his beautiful wife on one side and his handsome, uniformed son the other. In front of him was his other son, the eleven year old Nick who had inherited his father's looks too. Things hadn't been easy when he was born, Abby had struggled to gain the weight that she should have, and Nick was born with his own share of health problems. They had got through them all though, and the only sign now that Nick had been a sickly child was that he was a little smaller than other boys his age. Finally, in front of Abby on the photo was eight year old Hannah, she was every inch her mother's daughter; from her crop of white blonde hair and big blue eyes to her headstrong attitude, and she knew exactly how to wind her father around her little finger and get what she wanted. Everyone thought they were the perfect family, except for one person – and he had his reasons to believe there were tiny cracks there.

-o-

The party to celebrate Damian's passing out was in full swing at the Quinn household. Abby was exhausted, it had been a long day and she didn't really like being the hostess. She just wanted to sit down and have a beer. Connor was sat in the corner, watching Hannah play with his daughter, Lucy. The girls were close in age, but worlds apart. Lucy had inherited Connor's lack of self confidence, and she struggled to socialise. She'd become even worse since Connor and her mum had split up.

"Hey, glad you came." Abby said, sitting beside him. "How's it going?"

"As of next week, I lose half of everything I own to Rachel. At least the divorce will be done with and I'll be officially single again. I guess it's all my own fault. I was the one that slept with someone else, not her, wasn't I?" Connor looked Abby straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, Conn." Abby said, feeling uncomfortable.

"Rachel and I should never have married in the first place. I settled for the first woman that paid me any attention because I was lonely. I watched you and Danny; happily married and a second child on the way and I just fell into Rachel's arms." Connor looked down at his feet and then glanced over at his daughter. "She's the only good thing to come out of our marriage, and now I could lose her too."

"Rachel's still fighting the custody agreement?"

Connor nodded. "She wants my access reduced to supervised day visits only, no overnights."

"She can't do that! You do know that Danny and I are more than happy to be your character references if it helps your case?" Abby said.

"I don't know if that is such a good idea, considering you're named as the third party involved. Apparently, a man who sleeps with his best friend when her husband is away for the weekend isn't fit to look after a child."

"Don't say it so loud!" Abby hissed. "If Danny knew what happened, it would kill him!"

"Don't worry, it's bad enough I ruined my own marriage. I'm not going to wreck yours too. At least that's one thing Rachel and I agreed on and your identity is only known to the lawyers involved. I don't regret any of it though. We came so close to having an affair, didn't we?"

"No we didn't! It was a one off and it should never have happened. It was a moment of weakness because I was angry with Danny for not telling me he was going away until the last minute." Abby stood up. "I love him, and I love my family. We made a huge mistake that afternoon."

"The only mistake in my eyes was getting caught. What if Rachel hadn't come home early and found us in bed together? Would you have slept with me again? Would we have had an affair?" Connor said.

"I can't answer that, Connor." Abby said simply. "Now, I have to see to my guests and go back to my husband." She walked across the room, feeling Connor's eyes on her. Damian was stood chatting to his friends, Nick was tearing around the room and Hannah was sat on the floor with Lucy Temple. Danny was in the far corner, sharing a joke with Becker. She loved all of them, and there was no way she would risk losing any of them. Not even for Connor.

* * *

**hehehe ... I am evil and twisted ;) There'll be an M rated fic up shortly, what happened on that afternoon between Abby and Connor? ...**


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